The Cartel Lawyer by Dave Daren (popular books to read .TXT) 📗

I had no doubt he had a recording of his joyride, but hopefully he and Jimmy were smart enough not to post it anywhere until after the trial. Truthfully, it was a small miracle it hadn’t already made the rounds on social media.

“Got it,” the teen said and then swore at his game as he lost a round.

“Alvaro has my number if you need anything in the meantime,” I said with a wave goodbye.

I didn’t get a reply as I strolled out of the conference room, and it was clear the teen was done with me. At least he’d given me his word that he wouldn’t talk to anybody, and he was prepared for the trial. As long as he did as he was told and didn’t share that video, my work was done for the moment.

The door to Alvaro’s office was still closed, so I trotted down the stairs and out into the sticky, soupy air. It clung to me like another suit, and I picked up my speed as I hurried to my parking spot.

My car was sweltering when I opened the door, and the Florida sun had already started to bake the seats. I cranked up the AC as soon as I started the engine and rolled down the windows to help push the hot air out. By the time I pulled up to the gate, my car was cool enough that the sweat that had formed on my forehead was dry, and I was grateful that at least my old AC was still functional.

The drive to the Public Defender’s office was short, though I did stop at my favorite food truck to get a bacon, egg, and cheese burrito with hot sauce on the way. I ate half of it on the way back to my car and then stuffed the last bite of the delicious wrap into my mouth when I pulled into my usual spot.

Most of my coworkers hadn’t arrived yet or were in court as I snuck into the offices, and I almost made it to my cubicle without notice. But Rina was at the printer when I turned the corner, and she caught sight of me before I could duck inside my cubicle.

“Rob,” the woman greeted me in her thick southern accent. “I heard about your momma. I’m so sorry.”

“How?” I asked in amazement.

I knew the paralegal had an inexhaustible supply of informants, but I hadn’t even told our boss why I was leaving. In fact, I hadn’t told a single, living soul. There was no way she should know.

“Oh, suga’,” the paralegal patted me on the shoulder in comfort. “She called earlier to check on ya’ and told me all ‘bout it. Says that’s why you’re takin’ that new job.”

“Yeah,” I muttered.

My mother probably told the southern woman everything she knew so there was no use trying to deny it. The two had become friendly over the last few years, and my mother would’ve cracked when Rina asked why I would leave a job I enjoyed.

“You’re the best son a mother could ask for,” the dynamic woman said as she covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes turned misty with tears, and she shook her head as she tried to control her emotions.

“Thanks, Rina,” I said as I bobbed my head at the woman. “If you can keep my mother’s condition to yourself, then I’d appreciate it.”

“Of course, darlin’,” the woman nodded her head as a solemn expression crossed her face. She could gossip with the best of them, but I’d learned that when it came to the important things, she was a steel trap. “Now, you go get some work done. It’ll be a good distraction.”

She hurried me along and then turned back to her printer to hide the tears that still pooled in her eyes.

“You’re the best, Rina,” I told her. “I’ll really miss working with you.”

She bobbed her head at me, but she refused to look in my direction, so I just patted her on the shoulder and slipped into my little office. The chair needed the same adjustment as usual, and the computer took forever to boot up, but a sense of nostalgia washed over me as I went through what had become my normal morning routine.

When the computer was finally at the login screen, I put in my password and then pulled up my emails. There was nothing too interesting, though the prosecutor for Rick’s case had sent his last offer along with an invitation to lunch, and I grinned as I sent him a time and a place. The young thief would not see any jail time, though he would have to do the two-hundred-and-fifty community service hours, and I’d negotiated his probation down to six months.

Once that was finished I turned my attention to Camilo’s case. He would likely be on the same docket as his friend Jimmy, so I needed to contact the lawyer that was assigned to him, and I smirked when I realized it was my coworker, Stephen.

I leaned back in my chair to see if the middle-aged lawyer was the one at the printer, but Rina just glanced over at me with a smile and a wave.

“Who you lookin’ for?” she asked when I stood to glance over the tops of the low, gray cubicle walls.

“Stephen,” I mumbled as I gave the wide room another look.

“Oh,” the paralegal nodded her head. “He’s out tryin’ to meet his new client, Jimmy Suarez.”

“Perfect,” I grinned. “You really are the best. If I can ever afford my own paralegal, you can expect a call.”

“I ain’t cheap,” the southern woman drawled with a flip of her long blonde hair before she looked around the cubicles with a flash of disdain. “But I think you could persuade me if you’ll be the